Time recorder



Jan. 9, 1945. I F. Q. RAST 2,366,872

TIME RECORDER Original Filed July 7, 1938 11 Sheets-Sheet l Jaw ATTORNE! I F. Q. RAST TIME RECORDER Jan. 9, 1945.

Original Filed July 7; 1938 11 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Jan. 1945. F. Q. RAST 2,366,872

TI'ME RECORDER Original Filed July '7, 1958 .11 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 9, 1945. F. Q. RAST 2,366,872

TIME fiEcoRDER Original Filed July 7, 1938 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 A ZTOHNEY F. Q. RAs'r 2,366,872

TIME RECORDER Original Filed July. 7, 1938 Jan. 9, 1945.

11 Sheets-Sheet 6 5%, BY MORLEY F. Q. RAH! TIME RECORDER I Faun 9, 19450 Original Filed July 7, 1938 ll Sheets-$heet 7 A TTDBNE Y Jan. 9, 1945. F. Q. RAST Y 2,366,872

TIME RECORDER Original Filed July 7, 1938 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 ATTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945. sT

TIME RECORDER Original Filed July 7, 1938 11 Sheets-Sheet 9 I" 'IIIIIIII'IIII F. Q. RAST TIME RECORDER Jan. 9, 1945.

Original Filed July '7, 1938 ll Sheets-Sheet 10 WWI/Illa ,IJVIIIIIIJMWIIIIIIII 3 9a 7 Ir A f INVE OR BY M A TTORNE Y Jan. 9, 1945. Q RAST 2,366,872

TIME RECORDER Original Filed July '7, 1938 ll Sheets-Sheet ll 6/ IN VEN TOR A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1945 TIME RECORDER Frederick Q. Rast, Binghamton, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315,732, which is a division of application Serial No. 217,955, July 7, 1938. Divided and this application September 22, 1942, Serial No. 459,261

9 Claims.

This invention relates to time recorders, and

particularly to recorders of the type in which a card is inserted to receive an automatic time registration thereon.

The present application is a division of my application, Serial No. 315,732, filed January 26, 1940, now Patent No. 2,335,964 and which in turn is a division of my original application, Serial No. 217,955, filed July 7, 1938, now Patent No. 2,281,998. The claims of the patent are directed to the program mechanism, while the claims of the pending application relate to the printing mechanism. The present application pertains to the card holder and its control over the printing mechanism.

One object of the invention is to provide a time recorder having a card holder normally positioned by program mechanism, which can, however, be moved freely to an out-of-program position, but in so moving disables the printing mech anism, until the card holder is returned to inprogram position.

Another object is to provide a machine of the kind described, in which the card holder, after being moved to an out-of-program position, will return automatically to in-program position, when released, and in so doing will restore the printing mechanism to operative condition.

In a preferred embodiment key operated means are provided to block out the disabling means, to permit authorized out-of-program printing.

Another object is to provide a time recording machine having a laterally movable card holder, and printing mechanism, the operation of which is dependent upon the joint control of means to insure the location of the card holder in any one of several distinct laterally spaced positions and means preventing operation of the printing mechanism unless the card holder is in a particular one of said laterally spaced positions determined by program mechanism; the second control being subject to release by setting means to permit out-of-program printing. Thus, the outof-program printing is still subject to the first control, insuring correct registration of the card with respect to the printingmembers.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the card holder is mounted on a two-part carriage, the parts being relatively movable by shifting of the card holder laterally, and by their relative movement disabling the printing mechanism.

Still another object is to provide means coopcrating with an adjustable card receiver as- 55 sembly to adapt the machine fordifferent width time cards.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View of the machine in perspective with the cover on.

Fig. 2 is a partial circuit diagram of the machine. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally on the line 3--3 of Fig. l, in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 ofFig. 3, on a slightly reduced scale.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the motor drive mechanism taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the carriage shift mechanism, with parts in section.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the printing mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on the line I'D-l0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line ll--ll of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a sectional viewon the line I2--l2 of Fig. 11, to bring out the detail of the print contact operating arm and knock-off.

Fig. 13 is a section on the line l3-| 3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the card holder,

carriage and abutment.

Fig. 15 is a sectional plan view of the carriage and associated mechanism.

Figs. 16, 17, and 18 are sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines I6l6, I|-||, and i8-I8 of Fig. 15.

Figs. 19 and 20 are views similar to Fig. 18 showing the parts in the positions assumed when the card holder is pulled to the left and to the right, respectively, from on-program position.

Fig. 21 is a sectional view on the line 2|-2| of Fig. 15, showing the out-of-program print control mechanism.

Fig. 22 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a contact operating mechanism controlling the circuit of the print magnet. I

Referring first to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, housed in a casing 245 with a clock 210 on its front wall and a card holder I15 projecting up through a slot l'l5a in its top wall. In the left wall of the casing is a lock 244 to receive a key for setting the machine to print with the card holder in out-ofprogram position, as will be described in detail later.

The card holder H5 'is part of an assembly shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 14-21. The card holder proper comprises a mouthpiece 300 (Fig. 16) fixed by screws 30I to a bracket 250, which is fastened to the rear side of a plate Ill. The plate Ill has rearwardly extending slotted ears Illa and Illb, by which it is slidably mounted on a stationary bar 240 supported by side plates 33? and 308 of the machine frame. Two vertical bars 23l and 238, secured by screws 302 to the front side of plate Ill, are provided with channel flanges 2l3a, 23lb and 238a, 238b, to guide the card C to printing position, as it descends through the slot 300a of the mouth piece; The bottom ends of the bars 23l and 238 are tied together by a bar 303, which is fastened by screws 304 to 1ugs.305 on the vertical bars. Ex tra holes I16 are provided in the plate Ill and bar 303, so that the bar 23l can be moved nearer to the bar 238 for cards of smaller width. A lug 303a on the bar 303, and the bottom ends of the bars 231 and 238 guide the bottom of the card holder frame on a stationary rod 305.

A second plate Il4, similar to the plate Ill, is guided by slotted ears, HM and I14?) on the bar 240. The two plates Il4 and Ill are normally held together, with their ears Il -la and Illa in contact, by a spring Il3 stretched between the ears Il4a and Illb. The plates H4 and Ill constitute a two-part carriage, designated generally by reference number I50; the carriage being slidable on the bar 240 to shift the card holder laterally. It is biased toward the right by a spring I45, its right hand limit position being determined by a set screw I48 abutting a lug Il2a of a rock lever Il2 pivoted by a pin 3I3 upon the plate I14. The lever Il2 has 2. lug Il2c abutting against the bottom edge of the plate IN, to limit the clockwise movement of the lever H2. The leftward movement of the carriage ISO to successive program positions is effected by an arm I43 bearing against a stud I49 on rock lever H2 and pivoted by a stud I42 (Fig. 7) upon a bracket I4I. The arm I43 has fixed to it a cam follower I44, which is biased by a spring 3I5 against a stepped cam I45. The cam has fixed to it a ratchet wheel 40 and the unit is revolubly mounted upon a stud 3E6 supported by the bracket I4I. Rockably mounted on the stud 3 I 8 beside the ratchet wheel E40 is a pawl carrier I38 having pivoted thereon a pawl I3l engaging the ratchet wheel I40. The pawl carrier is biased by a spring I33 in clockwise direction so that its arm I33a normally rests upon a portion 303a of the frame. The pawl carrier is rocked counterclockwise by a link I33 reciprocated at intervals by the motor 60 (Fig. 3)

tions of the card holder normally required. In fact, the customary number of horizontal positions is six, these being, respectively: morning in, noon out, noon in, night out, extra in, and extra out. If the number of horizontally displaced registering positions on the time card is only six instead of eight, as in the embodiment shown herein, the adjustable stop I43 serves to position the card in an initial position at which it would have arrived after two movements of the cam, if the stop had been in the position shown in the drawings. Thus, the first two movements of the cam I45 under these conditions do not impart any movement to the carriage I50. The third to eighth movements of the cam, however, do move the carriage to six different horizontal positions. When a card of less than eight positions is being used, the width of the card receiver is decreased to take care of the smaller width of card. This is done by moving the left guide bar 231 (Fig. 14) of the card receiver to the right and fastening it in the proper place as determined by the screw holes H6 in the plate Ill and bar 303.

under control of the program drum I05 (Fig. 5).

eight steps of each lobe correspond, respectively, to

the maximum number of horizontal printing posi- The part of the carriage composed of the plate H4 and associated members will be sometimes referred to herein as the positioning part of the carriage, since it cooperates with the program member I43 to determine the in-program position of the carriage; whereas the plate Ill and associated members includin the card holding channels, will be referred to as the card holding part of the carriage.

As shown best in Fig. 9, the card C is held by the card holder facing the type wheels, one of which appears in this view with the reference number III. A ribbon I is fed between the card and the type wheels, by mechanism described in my Patent No. 2,281,998. Behind the card is a printing hammer 220 pivoted on a shaft 2I5 and carrying a rubber platen 220a (see also Fig. 10). The printing hammer is actuated by mechanism which will be described presently. This mechanism is tripped by a bell crank lever I pivoted at I350, upon a bracket I65a of a carriage I65. The carriage I85 is mounted to slide vertically upon a stationary bar I9l and thus to change the vertical position of the trip lever I95, with reference to the card holder. The carriage I55 also has two lugs I65b (Fig. 14) engaging in slots 3I4a of an abutment bar 3I4 vertically slidable in the channels 23lb and 23%. The abutment bar 3I4 acts as a stop to the trip lever I95 and also limits the depth of penetration of the card into the card holder, to determine the line of the card at which the record is to be printed. The vertical movement of the carriage is efiecwd by an arm I52 pivoted at I63 (Fig. 4) and having a slot I82a in its end to engage a stud I64 on the carriage I65. The arm I62 is positioned by a mechanism similar to that which operates the program arm I43. A ratchet wheel I53 rotatably mounted upon a stud 3Il is moved step by step in clockwise direction by a pawl assembly I52, also revolubly mounted on stud 3Il. The pawl assembly is biased in counterclockwise direction by a spring I52b, so that its arm I 52a normally rests upon a stop I5I. The pawl assembly is rocked at intervals through link I51 by the motor 60, under control of the program drum I05. For a detailed description of the mechanism which reciprocates the link I5l at the proper time reference is mad-e to my Patent No. 2,281,998. The ratchet wheel I53 has fixed to it a stepped cam I60, which is engaged by a cam follower IBI slot I99a.

fixed to the arm N32. The cam is moved by steps, usually one step a day, and at each step the arm I62 lifts the carriage I65 and abutment bar 3M. to stop the card one line high-er in the card holder. After a certain number of upward steps, for instance seven, the cam follower. IBI drops to the low part of the cam and the card abutment is positioned again at full depth.

The trip lever I95 has a lug I951) which travels in the channel of a bail I96 as the carriage I65 rises and falls. The bail I96 is pivoted on the bar I91 and a bracket I9'Ia thereof and is biased by a spring 3I8 in the direction to hold the trip lever I95 in raised position. A thrust bar I38 articulated to the lower end of bail I96 extends into a slot I99a in a lug of a lever I99 revolubly mounted on a rock shaft 2I0. The lever I99 is biased by a spring 232 so that its arm I992) normally rests against a frame plate 3I9 and its lower end stands out in front of a pair of contacts 209. When the bar I98 is thrust to the rear by the trip lever I95 its'shoulder I98a strikes the lug of the lever I99, rocks the lever, and closes the contacts 200. This completes the circuit of a solenoid 205 (Fig. 2), which circuit can be traced from a line terminal 280 through wire 298, normally closed contacts 236, solenoid 295, print contacts 299 when closed, to line terminal 29L The armature 296 of the solenoid 205 (Figs. 4, 5 and 10) is articulated to an arm 291 fixed I on the rock shaft 2H] and, when the solenoid is energized rocks the shaft counterclockwise (Fig. 5), against the pull of a spring 320. This has three results: First, the release of the printing hammer for a printing motion; second, the disabling of the card operated trip mechanism; third, the starting of the motor. These operations will now be described in order.

The shaft 2 I has fixed to it an arm I90 (Figs. 9 and i0) straddled by a bail 2I I free on the shaft 2H! and biased against the arm by a spring I9Ila. The bail 2 I I has a lug 2I Ia, which normally stands in front of the bottom end of a lever 2 I2 rockably mounted on shaft 2 I and biased in counterclockwise direction by a spring 2 I3 connected to a yoke 202 of the lever. The printing hammer 220 is yieldably held against a lug 2 I2a of the lever 2I2 by a spring 32L When the rocking of shaft 2I0 releases bail 2II from lever 2I2, the lever swings counterclockwise (Fig. 9) and throws the hammer toward the printing wheels; an adjustable buffer 2I9 stops the lever 2I2 just before the platen strikes the card and the hammer completes the printing stroke by its own momentum, tensioning spring 32 I.

There is also fixed on shaft 2H) a knock-off member 235 (Figs. 12 and 13). This member serves as an anchor for two springs, namely, the

spring 232 previously referred to and a spring 233 which pulls the bar I99 up against the top of the When the shaft 2H) rocks, by energization of the solenoid 205, the knock-off member strikes the bar I98 down, after the contacts 200 have been closed, and releases the shoulder I98a from the lever I99, which springs back to normal position and opens the contacts 299, breaking the circuit of solenoid 295 and allowing shaft 2I0 to restore to normal position. The lug 2IIa strikes the bottom end of lever 2I2, as the arm I90 tensions spring I900, slightly, pulling the bail 2I I so that it will snap behind the lever 2H, when the latter is restored, in a manner to be described presently.

til

keyed to a main drive shaft (:9 (Fig. 6).

(Figs. 6 and 8), the upper end of which closes a pair of contacts 56, when the shaft 2 I0 is rocked by the solenoid 295. A glance at Fig. 2 will show that this completes the circuit of the motor 59. The contacts 236, previously mentioned, are broken at the same time, opening the circuit of solenoid 295. The motor shaft is coupled to a worm 64 (Fig. 8) meshing with a worm wheel 62 This shaft has a threaded portion GI by which a ratchet wheel 53 is fastened to it. Revolubly mounted on shaft 63 beside the ratchet wheel 53 is a cam disk 225 carrying a pivoted pawl 224. The pawl is biased toward engagement with the ratchet 53 by a spring 322, but in the condition of rest of the machine is held out of engagement by the bottom end of latch lever 223. A contact holding lever 22% rockably mounted on a shaft 59 is biased against the cam 225 by a spring 323. When the pawl 224 is released by the latch 223 and engages the ratchet wheel 53, the cam 225 starts to revolve and throws lever 226 over to hold the contacts 55 closed and the contacts 236 open for one revolution of the cam. An eccentric 23I fixed to cam i225 reciprocates a link 239 engaged therewithby an eccentric strap. The link 239 is articulated to an arm 324 fixed to shaft 2E5 and thus rocks the shaft clockwise, during the first half revolution of eccentric 23I. An arm 29! pinned to shaft 2I5 strikes the yoke 292 and rocks the lever 2I2 far enough for the arm 2 I I to snap behind its bottom end. The printing hammer is restored with the lever 2I2 by the spring 32L At the end of one revolution of the cam 225 the pawl 224 is unclutched' by the latch'223 and Out-of-program printing control Referring now to Figs. 21 and 22, it will be seen that the contacts 236, which it will be remembered, are in the circuit of the print magnet 295, are controlled by a bell crank lever I94, the position of which is, in turn, controlled by an arm I93 fixed to a shaft i92. If the shaft I92 is rocked counterclockwise (Fig. 22), the contacts 236 will be opened and the print solenoid 295 cannot be energized. The shaft #92 has fixed to it an arm 252 (see also Figs. 15 and 16) with a pin 25I biased against the downwardly turned rear flange 259a of the plate 256 by a spring 253 hooked into a fixed arm 325 on the shaft I922. The flange 2590, has notches 25017 into which the pin 25I can drop when the carriage I5t is in the correspondto open the contacts 236, until the pin 25! drops into the next notch 25%.

The mechanism just described thus constitutes a print control means.

Means are provided to prevent unauthorized out-of-program printing, by blocking the entry of the pin 25I into any notch 25Gb except the one pertaining to the printing position determined by the program mechanism. Referring particularly to Figs. 15 to 20, it willbe noted,

that in addition to the lever I'l2, the plate I'll has a lever I'II pivoted to it by a pin 326. The levers I 'II and H2 are interconnected by a spring I6'l tending to rock them in clockwise and counterclockwise directions, respectively. The lever Ill has articulated to it a thrust bar Illa which extends through a slot in the ear I'l4b, for engagement by the ear l'l'lb. When the two parts of the carriage I56 are in the contracted position shown in Fig. 18, the lever I'lI is rocked back against the action of spring l6'l by the thrust bar Illa, spring I'l3 being stronger than spring I 61. In this position an arm I'llb (Fig. 16) of the lever stands above the cross bar of a bail I66 fixed to shaft I92. If the card holder is pulled to the right, only the plate I'l'l of the carriage will move with it, the plate I14 being held by the program arm I43. This condition is shown in Fig. 20, where the bar I'lla, released by the ear I'l'lb, has moved to the right and allowed the lever I'lI to rock down so that its arm I'llb stands in front of the cross bar of the bail I66. Referring to Fig. 16, it will be seen that as the pin 25I is rocked down by the flange 250a, the bail I66 rocks out and allows the arm I'll b to drop into position to block the return of the bail. Only when the card holder is restored to in-program position and the lever I'll is rocked back, can the bail I66 return to normal position and close the contacts 236.

On the other hand, if the card holder is pulled to the left from program position, the stud I49 will leave the program lever I43 and the lever I'l2 will rock down to the position shown in Fig. 19. Its arm I'l2b will then block the bail I66 in the same way as the arm I1 lb of lever I'll.

Means are provided to prevent operation of the out-of-program blocking means just described, so that under authorized conditions a record can be made out of program. A bar 24'! is mounted in slots 248 of the side plates 301 and 308, so as to be just under the levers I'll and H2. The bar can be moved to the left by a lever 246, against the action of a spring 321. By this movement the bar is cammed upward by its inclined surfaces 24'la (Fig. 21) and lifts the levers Ill and I I2 to inoperative position. The lever 246 can be rocked by means of a key inserted in look 244. The pin 25I can then move into any one of the notches 2502), as the card holder is shifted to an out-of-program printing position, closing the contacts 236 and setting up the print magnet circuit. The pin 25l registers the card holder in the manually selected printing position.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a time recording machine, printing means, a card holder for positioning a card inserted therein to receive a record from said printing means, said card holder being mounted so as to be movable laterally with respect to said printing means, progressively moving means to shift said card holder laterally to different printing positions, means yieldably holding said card holder'at the position determined by said progressively moving means, print control means,

and disabling means operatively associated with said print control means and rendered efiective by movement of said card holder to any position other than the one determined by said progressively moving means, to hold said print control means in non-print condition until said cardholder is returned to the printing position determined by said progressively moving means.

2. A machine as described in claim 1, having key operated means for locking out said disabling means.

3. In a time recording machine, printing means, a card holder for positioning a card inserted therein to receive a record from said printing means, a two part carriage on one part of which said card holder is mounted, a program member against which the other part of said carriage is yieldably held to determine the inprogram position of the carriage, said carriage being mounted to shift in relation to said printing means in a direction parallel to the face of a card in said holder, the two parts of said carriage being relatively movable in the direction in which the carriage shifts and having means for yieldably holding the same in relatively contracted position, print control means, and disabling means operatively associated with said print control means and rendered elfective by relative movement of the parts of said carriage or by movement of the carriage as a whole with respect to said program member, to hold said print control means in non-print condition.

4. A machine as described in claim 3, having key operated means for looking out said disabling means.

5. A machine as described in claim 1, wherein said disabling means comprises yielding means tending to restore the disabling means to ineffective position upon the return of said card holder to the position determined by said progressively moving means.

6. In a time recording machine, printing means, a card holder for positioning a card inserted therein to receive a record from said printing means, said card holder being mounted so as to be movable laterally with respect to said printing means, progressively moving means to shift said card holder laterally to different printing positions, means yieldably holding said card holder at the position determined by said progressively moving means, print control means yieldably held in print condition when said card holder is in any one of said printing positions and movable to non-print condition by the travel of said card holder between said printing positions, and disabling means operatively associated with said print control means and rendered effective by movement of said card holder to any position other than the one determined by said progressively moving means, to hold said print control means in non-print condition until said card holder is returned to the position determined by said progressively moving means.

7. A machine as described in claim 6, having key controlled means for locking out said disabling means, whereby said print control means will assume print condition upon movement of said card holder to any one of said printing positions.

8. In a time recording machine, printing means, a carriage composed of a positioning part and a card holding part, means yieldably holding said parts in contracted relation, print control means, disabling means comprising a pair of blocking members movably mounted on the positioning part of said carriage and each adapted, in blocking position, to hold said print control means in non-print condition, means biasing said blocking members toward blocking position, a program member, means biasing said carriage in one direction to press one of said blocking members against said program member, thereby to hold said last mentioned blocking member innon-blocking position and said carriage in a printing position, and means operated by the positioning of the two parts of said carriage in their most contracted relation to hold the other of said blocking members in non-blocking position, whereby upon movement of said carriage as a whole in one direction said first mentioned blocking member will be removed from said program member and allowed to assume its blocking position, and upon movement of the card holding part of said carriage alone in the opposite direc tion said other blocking member will be released for movement to blocking position.

9. In a time recording machine, printing means, a card holder for positioning a card inserted therein to receive a record from said printing means, said card holder comprising a pair of opposed lateral guide members and adjustable means for holding said members parallel at a selected distance, program means for moving said card holder laterally by steps, and adjustable abutment means to determine a limit position of said card holder, the limitposition allowing for movement of said card holder with said program means through all, or less than all of the steps of movement of said program means, in dependence upon the adjustment of said abutment means.

FREDERICK Q. RAST. 

